“The devastation in Puerto Rico has set us back nearly 20 to 30 years,” Jenniffer González-Colón, Puerto Rico’s nonvoting representative in the U.S. Congress, said Sunday. “The destruction of properties, of flattened structures, of families without homes, of debris everywhere. The island’s greenery is gone.”

Hours after the storm made landfall, Trump tweeted a message of solidarity to Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló. But the president did not mention the storm-ravaged U.S. territory at all over the next four days, focusing instead on the protests.

On Monday, Trump insisted “the issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race.”

“It is about respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem,” he tweeted. “NFL must respect this!”

The issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race. It is about respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem. NFL must respect this!

“I think it’s deeply troubling that the president would be attacking black athletes for expressing their opinions peacefully,” Clinton said. “Protest is a part of the American way of life, and it’s something that I’m very proud of — whether I agree or disagree. I think peaceful protest is part of what has helped us make progress, learn more, be a better country over time.

“I just couldn’t help thinking that he has attacked these black athletes for peacefully protesting, but he doesn’t really attack white supremacists, neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klanners, or Vladimir Putin, who interfered in our election,” she added. “And I think it’s all part of his political calculation, and I really think that’s bad for the country. He wants to set people against each other. He wants to divide us.”

Trump told reporters on Tuesday morning that he will visit Puerto Rico next Tuesday, the earliest he is able to travel to the island due to the damage.